"My Beautiful One" [1]
Title: My Beautiful One [CH.1]
Rating: PG-13 [To increase in future chapters]
Pairing: (varies) Lots.
Notes: I’ve never done a multi-chaptered story and kept up with it. I hope I can change that with this, ehehe D: I also hope to throw in some fun.. uh… twists? :D Rating will change depending on chapter content. This could be considered kind of an intro I suppose. I don’t really know what else to say here LOL. Enjoy I guess? Links to other chapters will be added as… well… I make them :]
[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven]
--
Another day, another dollar.
Lee Jinki didn’t have the most glamorous profession, but he liked what he did. He never ran out of things to do, and almost all of the people that came in were great company; there were a few horror stories amidst the cheerful ones, but who didn’t have that? The library he locked himself away in was the only one in their small city, and a very unique one at that. Like all libraries - and business at that - it had its regular hours of operation. From 8am to 7pm, people of all shapes, sizes, and IQ levels could wander in to browse the books, read, or ask where the nearest fast food joint was. It was during those hours, also, that Jinki was rarely seen.
What made the building so unique was that it had a 24/7 “student” wing. With a small free and proof of school enrollment, overly studious teens could purchase a keycard that allowed them into the library after the main doors had been locked up tight. With his sunshiny attitude and bubbly personality, some people found it odd for Jinki to be such a nightowl. His hatred of mornings was one reason why he accepted the After Hours shift. Another was because no one else wanted it. The third, and perhaps the most influential reason, was in the process of prancing up to the front counter right now.
“Hi hyung!” Lee Taemin was Jinki’s room mate. Their families had been close in their younger years, and even if the five year age difference was large in the opinion of growing boys (Taemin was only three when seven-year-old Jinki met him), the two became close. Some people dared to question just how close the boys were, especially when the younger finally became a teenager with raging hormones, and no matter how hard Jinki tried to convince them that they were like brothers, some people just couldn’t see passed the fact that a seventeen year old and a twenty-two year old were sharing an apartment.
But they didn’t know.
They didn’t know about the countless nights his mother had spent in the hospital, sometime beaten within an inch of her life. They didn’t know the perversion that had gone on in the household once Taemin had started to mature. They didn’t know that his father was now in prison on multiple accounts of rape and pedophilia. They didn’t know how Taemin had cried in Jinki’s arms for hours at a time because his family was falling apart. They didn’t know that Taemin had been living with him since he was fifteen years old - that Jinki was more of a father to the boy than any birth certificate would verify.
The older man beamed, leaning on the counter and adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses. “Studying hard Taeminnie?” He always did, but he was starting to run out of questions to ask. ‘How was school?’ ‘What did you learn today?’ ‘Does that girl still flirt with you?’ He’d asked them all at least four times, and Taemin had started answering them before the question was even completed. The younger boy nodded, the mop of strawberry blonde hair obstructing his vision and reset into place with the flick of his wrist.
“Ne. I have a pretty big test tomorrow, so I’m gonna go home and sleep.”
“Eat something first,” Jinki cut in, leaning back in his chair. “There’s some leftover kimbap from dinner.”
“Any steak?”
“No, sorry.” He smiled warmly, shifting again in his place to reach across the counter, giving those golden tresses an affectionate ruffle. That dazzling smile only widened when he saw the younger boys pouting face, and it took every ounce of willpower Jinki had not to burst out in a fit of laughter. Yes, he was the only one on shift, and at a quarter to 11 at night, there were only two or three other bodies in the building, not counting Taemin. But, this was still a library, and he was fairly sure it was against library etiquette to laugh his ass off at the misfortune of teenagers. “Don’t give me that look~ do you know how expensive steak is?” Taemin just blinked his adorably large eyes and shrugged. Of course he didn’t know - he didn’t have to buy any of the groceries. “Let’s just say, that if we had steak every time you asked for it, I’d probably have to sell the chairs we sit at, and the table we’re eating on. Now,” once again, the librarian reclined, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, “go home, go eat, go to bed. I’ll be off in time to make sure you’re up. Okay?”
“Okaaay…” a drawn out sigh was attached to his words, and after waving farewell to his hyung, the younger boy pranced off, leaving a smiling Jinki following the retreating frame with his eyes. If Taemin ever got curious enough to open the freezer, he’d discover that Jinki actually had enough steak stashed away to last them a few days. The younger boy turned a corner, putting him out of sight, but not out of hearing range. Not even a full second after he vanished, Jinki heard a muffled ‘excuse me - sorry!’ followed by the definite click of the heavy student door shutting and locking. Curiosity caused his head to turn just slightly. A late arrival perhaps?
In this persons defense, it was a 24 hour branch of the library. Jinki just thought it was unusual to see anyone show up after 10pm, and even those were usually just kids waiting for a ride home. His eyes remained on the entryway, and after twelve seconds of waiting… still no one appeared. Well, maybe Jinki’s clumsiness was rubbing off on his room mate, and Taemin had just run into an innocent bystander… or a bike. Whichever. He eventually gave up, shrugging a shoulder before picking up the overly thick book at his desk. He loved reading, and if he had all the time in the world, he’d probably stick his nose into every single cover the library had on its shelves.
He’d only read one or two pages before something told him that he needed to put the book down. It had only taken one unfortunate incident with Taemin and a burning stove to teach him to trust his gut instincts. Blinking slowly, Jinki pulled the book away and set his eyes forward. Startled, he nearly fell out of his chair.
Sitting at one of the nearest tables to him was a young man that hadn’t been here when he got here, and he hadn’t seen enter. Though he was sitting, the length of his legs indicated that he was quite tall. A school uniform covered his body, though it was unfamiliar to Jinki causing him to draw the conclusion that he wasn’t from around here. His eyes were large and black, matching the color of his shortly cut hair. The youth was thin, but by how parts of the uniform clung to his body, Jinki was sure he had more muscle than he let on. The stranger took a casual glance to his left - perhaps looking at what else the shelf had on it - revealing that his attractive body also came with an absolutely perfect profile.
Jinki wrinkled his nose. Maybe he was just so absorbed in his book that he didn’t hear him come in… but well… First, he didn’t see this tall shadow pass over him. Secondly, he didn’t hear his footsteps, and third, he didn’t hear the legs of the chair squeak against the floor. It was like this guy just materialized or something. He shook his head, lifting his book again. He didn’t believe in that stuff… he didn’t believe in ninja’s either. Of course, refusal to believe or accept that this person may have just walked through the wall didn’t make his appearance any less weird. The librarian tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, letting out a breath as his brain sucked up the words printed before him.
There was that feeling again.
He was starting to feel a bit creeped up, but once again, conditioning made it so that he couldn’t not look when he felt that knot form in his stomach. After swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, his gaze lifted… and met with the strangers own. This time Jinki did break library etiquette, yelping in shock. The young man simply blinked his large inquisitive eyes, then offered a smile as an apology. No words were given, but that slight grin had so much charisma burning behind it that Jinki just… couldn’t stay upset. He brushed his hair back, adjusted his glasses, then brought his novel back up… hopefully for the final time.
At last, he had peace. No more creepy eyes burning into him, and as the night drew on and no more students came, he knew he could be a bit more lax. He even went so far as to play some soft music on the antique radio perched behind him on a high shelf. Midnight rolled around, and the pair of girls that had ventured into the library around nine made their exit, bidding him a goodnight, the more flirtatious of the two adding on a cooed ‘oppa~’ which made Jinki… do basically nothing. His priorities were Taemin, work, and making sure they still had a roof over their head. There wasn’t any room for women. Especially ones six years younger than him.
2am. Usually he was completely alone at this point, and sometimes he could even get away with leaving early. Of course, he couldn’t leave if there were still students present, and in this case, there were. That same guy - that same creepy guy that stared at him while he read was still in the exact same spot. Had he even moved at all since he got here? Jinki wasn’t sure, but he was fairly sure the tall boy hadn’t done anything more than cross/ uncross his legs and turn the page in his book… was that even required reading on any study regimen? He frowned, but because he was no teacher, he couldn’t make the call. The younger male suddenly twisted his head to the left, the joints popping in a rather disgusting manner as they released the tension. Jinki’s eye twitched. Well… that counted a smovement he supposed.
3:50am. Finally, it was time to pack up and go. The next person would be in soon to cover his shift. Then he could go home, have some coffee, wake up Taemin when the sun rose… sleep till 5 and do it all over again. He hummed to himself, stuffing various pens and his glasses case into his bag, pulling out his car keys in the process. Right on time, the student door clicked, and a woman in her mid thirties entered, making brief small talk with Jinki before bidding him a goodnight. He tucked his book under his arm, and was on his way.
“Jinki.”
Almost. The voice was surprisingly deep and burned itself right into Jinki’s mind. He’d be hearing it the rest of the night. He glanced over his shoulder, finding those hypnotic eyes staring at him once more. What was with this guy? More importantly, why did he think he could be so informal with hi- wait, how the hell did he even know his name? Slowly, the librarian nodded, brow furrowed. The youth smiled, bowing his head the slightest bit. “Goodnight.”
“… Yeah… you too.” His step was quite a bit faster than he had intended it to be, but this wasn’t just weird and awkward anymore; this was flat out scary. He fumbled with his car keys, but finally managed to get them into the lock and directly into the ignition. Not wasting a second or risking a second, the doors were locked, and the vehicle started. Unfortunately, Jinki wasn’t going to be able to drive with his hands shaking as badly as they were. He exhaled slowly, and flipped on his headlights. “What… was with that guy…?” He didn’t care right now; he just wanted to get the hell out.
Back inside, the boy remained in his chair, fingers drumming on a scarred cheek, his tongue rolling over his teeth behind sealed lips. ’Jinki…’ he smiled to himself. ’My, you’re interesting…’
[To Chapter 2 -->]
Rating: PG-13 [To increase in future chapters]
Pairing: (varies) Lots.
Notes: I’ve never done a multi-chaptered story and kept up with it. I hope I can change that with this, ehehe D: I also hope to throw in some fun.. uh… twists? :D Rating will change depending on chapter content. This could be considered kind of an intro I suppose. I don’t really know what else to say here LOL. Enjoy I guess? Links to other chapters will be added as… well… I make them :]
[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven]
--
Another day, another dollar.
Lee Jinki didn’t have the most glamorous profession, but he liked what he did. He never ran out of things to do, and almost all of the people that came in were great company; there were a few horror stories amidst the cheerful ones, but who didn’t have that? The library he locked himself away in was the only one in their small city, and a very unique one at that. Like all libraries - and business at that - it had its regular hours of operation. From 8am to 7pm, people of all shapes, sizes, and IQ levels could wander in to browse the books, read, or ask where the nearest fast food joint was. It was during those hours, also, that Jinki was rarely seen.
What made the building so unique was that it had a 24/7 “student” wing. With a small free and proof of school enrollment, overly studious teens could purchase a keycard that allowed them into the library after the main doors had been locked up tight. With his sunshiny attitude and bubbly personality, some people found it odd for Jinki to be such a nightowl. His hatred of mornings was one reason why he accepted the After Hours shift. Another was because no one else wanted it. The third, and perhaps the most influential reason, was in the process of prancing up to the front counter right now.
“Hi hyung!” Lee Taemin was Jinki’s room mate. Their families had been close in their younger years, and even if the five year age difference was large in the opinion of growing boys (Taemin was only three when seven-year-old Jinki met him), the two became close. Some people dared to question just how close the boys were, especially when the younger finally became a teenager with raging hormones, and no matter how hard Jinki tried to convince them that they were like brothers, some people just couldn’t see passed the fact that a seventeen year old and a twenty-two year old were sharing an apartment.
But they didn’t know.
They didn’t know about the countless nights his mother had spent in the hospital, sometime beaten within an inch of her life. They didn’t know the perversion that had gone on in the household once Taemin had started to mature. They didn’t know that his father was now in prison on multiple accounts of rape and pedophilia. They didn’t know how Taemin had cried in Jinki’s arms for hours at a time because his family was falling apart. They didn’t know that Taemin had been living with him since he was fifteen years old - that Jinki was more of a father to the boy than any birth certificate would verify.
The older man beamed, leaning on the counter and adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses. “Studying hard Taeminnie?” He always did, but he was starting to run out of questions to ask. ‘How was school?’ ‘What did you learn today?’ ‘Does that girl still flirt with you?’ He’d asked them all at least four times, and Taemin had started answering them before the question was even completed. The younger boy nodded, the mop of strawberry blonde hair obstructing his vision and reset into place with the flick of his wrist.
“Ne. I have a pretty big test tomorrow, so I’m gonna go home and sleep.”
“Eat something first,” Jinki cut in, leaning back in his chair. “There’s some leftover kimbap from dinner.”
“Any steak?”
“No, sorry.” He smiled warmly, shifting again in his place to reach across the counter, giving those golden tresses an affectionate ruffle. That dazzling smile only widened when he saw the younger boys pouting face, and it took every ounce of willpower Jinki had not to burst out in a fit of laughter. Yes, he was the only one on shift, and at a quarter to 11 at night, there were only two or three other bodies in the building, not counting Taemin. But, this was still a library, and he was fairly sure it was against library etiquette to laugh his ass off at the misfortune of teenagers. “Don’t give me that look~ do you know how expensive steak is?” Taemin just blinked his adorably large eyes and shrugged. Of course he didn’t know - he didn’t have to buy any of the groceries. “Let’s just say, that if we had steak every time you asked for it, I’d probably have to sell the chairs we sit at, and the table we’re eating on. Now,” once again, the librarian reclined, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, “go home, go eat, go to bed. I’ll be off in time to make sure you’re up. Okay?”
“Okaaay…” a drawn out sigh was attached to his words, and after waving farewell to his hyung, the younger boy pranced off, leaving a smiling Jinki following the retreating frame with his eyes. If Taemin ever got curious enough to open the freezer, he’d discover that Jinki actually had enough steak stashed away to last them a few days. The younger boy turned a corner, putting him out of sight, but not out of hearing range. Not even a full second after he vanished, Jinki heard a muffled ‘excuse me - sorry!’ followed by the definite click of the heavy student door shutting and locking. Curiosity caused his head to turn just slightly. A late arrival perhaps?
In this persons defense, it was a 24 hour branch of the library. Jinki just thought it was unusual to see anyone show up after 10pm, and even those were usually just kids waiting for a ride home. His eyes remained on the entryway, and after twelve seconds of waiting… still no one appeared. Well, maybe Jinki’s clumsiness was rubbing off on his room mate, and Taemin had just run into an innocent bystander… or a bike. Whichever. He eventually gave up, shrugging a shoulder before picking up the overly thick book at his desk. He loved reading, and if he had all the time in the world, he’d probably stick his nose into every single cover the library had on its shelves.
He’d only read one or two pages before something told him that he needed to put the book down. It had only taken one unfortunate incident with Taemin and a burning stove to teach him to trust his gut instincts. Blinking slowly, Jinki pulled the book away and set his eyes forward. Startled, he nearly fell out of his chair.
Sitting at one of the nearest tables to him was a young man that hadn’t been here when he got here, and he hadn’t seen enter. Though he was sitting, the length of his legs indicated that he was quite tall. A school uniform covered his body, though it was unfamiliar to Jinki causing him to draw the conclusion that he wasn’t from around here. His eyes were large and black, matching the color of his shortly cut hair. The youth was thin, but by how parts of the uniform clung to his body, Jinki was sure he had more muscle than he let on. The stranger took a casual glance to his left - perhaps looking at what else the shelf had on it - revealing that his attractive body also came with an absolutely perfect profile.
Jinki wrinkled his nose. Maybe he was just so absorbed in his book that he didn’t hear him come in… but well… First, he didn’t see this tall shadow pass over him. Secondly, he didn’t hear his footsteps, and third, he didn’t hear the legs of the chair squeak against the floor. It was like this guy just materialized or something. He shook his head, lifting his book again. He didn’t believe in that stuff… he didn’t believe in ninja’s either. Of course, refusal to believe or accept that this person may have just walked through the wall didn’t make his appearance any less weird. The librarian tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, letting out a breath as his brain sucked up the words printed before him.
There was that feeling again.
He was starting to feel a bit creeped up, but once again, conditioning made it so that he couldn’t not look when he felt that knot form in his stomach. After swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, his gaze lifted… and met with the strangers own. This time Jinki did break library etiquette, yelping in shock. The young man simply blinked his large inquisitive eyes, then offered a smile as an apology. No words were given, but that slight grin had so much charisma burning behind it that Jinki just… couldn’t stay upset. He brushed his hair back, adjusted his glasses, then brought his novel back up… hopefully for the final time.
At last, he had peace. No more creepy eyes burning into him, and as the night drew on and no more students came, he knew he could be a bit more lax. He even went so far as to play some soft music on the antique radio perched behind him on a high shelf. Midnight rolled around, and the pair of girls that had ventured into the library around nine made their exit, bidding him a goodnight, the more flirtatious of the two adding on a cooed ‘oppa~’ which made Jinki… do basically nothing. His priorities were Taemin, work, and making sure they still had a roof over their head. There wasn’t any room for women. Especially ones six years younger than him.
2am. Usually he was completely alone at this point, and sometimes he could even get away with leaving early. Of course, he couldn’t leave if there were still students present, and in this case, there were. That same guy - that same creepy guy that stared at him while he read was still in the exact same spot. Had he even moved at all since he got here? Jinki wasn’t sure, but he was fairly sure the tall boy hadn’t done anything more than cross/ uncross his legs and turn the page in his book… was that even required reading on any study regimen? He frowned, but because he was no teacher, he couldn’t make the call. The younger male suddenly twisted his head to the left, the joints popping in a rather disgusting manner as they released the tension. Jinki’s eye twitched. Well… that counted a smovement he supposed.
3:50am. Finally, it was time to pack up and go. The next person would be in soon to cover his shift. Then he could go home, have some coffee, wake up Taemin when the sun rose… sleep till 5 and do it all over again. He hummed to himself, stuffing various pens and his glasses case into his bag, pulling out his car keys in the process. Right on time, the student door clicked, and a woman in her mid thirties entered, making brief small talk with Jinki before bidding him a goodnight. He tucked his book under his arm, and was on his way.
“Jinki.”
Almost. The voice was surprisingly deep and burned itself right into Jinki’s mind. He’d be hearing it the rest of the night. He glanced over his shoulder, finding those hypnotic eyes staring at him once more. What was with this guy? More importantly, why did he think he could be so informal with hi- wait, how the hell did he even know his name? Slowly, the librarian nodded, brow furrowed. The youth smiled, bowing his head the slightest bit. “Goodnight.”
“… Yeah… you too.” His step was quite a bit faster than he had intended it to be, but this wasn’t just weird and awkward anymore; this was flat out scary. He fumbled with his car keys, but finally managed to get them into the lock and directly into the ignition. Not wasting a second or risking a second, the doors were locked, and the vehicle started. Unfortunately, Jinki wasn’t going to be able to drive with his hands shaking as badly as they were. He exhaled slowly, and flipped on his headlights. “What… was with that guy…?” He didn’t care right now; he just wanted to get the hell out.
Back inside, the boy remained in his chair, fingers drumming on a scarred cheek, his tongue rolling over his teeth behind sealed lips. ’Jinki…’ he smiled to himself. ’My, you’re interesting…’
[To Chapter 2 -->]